Session 05

📍 Location

Kurn — starting at Marek’s Apothecary of Knives, then The Wasp’s Nest tavern near the North Gate, the city’s market, and the hidden underbelly of the city.

⚔️ What Happened

The session opened with the party regrouping at Marek’s Apothecary of Knives in Kurn. Gale and Marek stayed behind to rest and talk, while Red, Rams, and Taji ventured into the city to stretch their legs.

At The Wasp’s Nest tavern near the North Gate, Taji noticed a group of grieving caravaneers — Varek, a half-elf guard; Gorra, a dwarf drover; and Seth, a human water-tender. Their entire caravan had been lost on the road south of Kurn: the driver Pip and the caravan leader Oren were both dead, swallowed by a sandstorm. The three had survived by hiding inside a crate, then wandered for hours until they reached Kurn. Taji spoke with them, offering comfort and promising to travel south to the site to guide the souls of the fallen into the afterlife.

Meanwhile, Rams and Red played cards with some locals. Red cheated, was caught, and ended up stabbed in the ribs. Gelda, the half-giant tavern keeper, threw the entire group outside and knocked the two attackers unconscious.

The party regrouped at Marek’s and slept through the afternoon, as is usual in Athas.

After waking, Sali Vethran arrived with promising news. At the Great Library, he had uncovered old House Azeth manifests referencing a buried structure called the Tally-Halls of the Hollow King, hidden beneath an old cistern a day’s journey south of Kurn. The entrance is accessible by following a dry channel that runs from the city southwards. Daskinor once kept slaves there and used the place to process captives. Sali warned that all of Daskinor’s branded slaves are eventually found and killed.

While the party prepared for the voyage, Taji visited the market. Most stalls were B2B traders selling construction materials and tools — Kurn seems to be buying a lot of building supplies and selling a great deal of food. Taji’s jackal familiar discovered a hidden entrance in a far-off alleyway, leading into a gigantic underground warehouse packed with food. Inside, Taji overheard a conversation revealing that there is another “place” the locals call home — where the food comes from and where the construction materials are going.

The party found this deeply interesting but refused to investigate further, fearing Daskinor’s brand might reveal their location if they delved too deep into Kurn’s secrets.

🏃‍♀️ TL;DR

• The party regrouped at Marek’s Apothecary of Knives in Kurn.
• Red, Rams, and Taji visited The Wasp’s Nest tavern near the North Gate.
• Taji comforted grieving caravaneers (Varek, Gorra, and Seth) who lost their caravan to a sandstorm, and promised to guide the fallen souls to the afterlife.
• Red cheated at cards, was caught and stabbed; Gelda the half-giant bouncer threw everyone out and knocked the attackers unconscious.
• Sali Vethran brought news from the Great Library: the Tally-Halls of the Hollow King, a buried structure south of Kurn where Daskinor once processed slaves — a possible lead on removing the brands.
• Taji discovered a hidden underground warehouse packed with food, linked to a mysterious “other place” the locals call home.
• The party decided not to investigate the warehouse further, fearing their brands would betray them.

➡️ What’s Next

The party will prepare to head south from Kurn to find the Tally-Halls of the Hollow King — the buried structure Sali Vethran uncovered in the Great Library. They hope to find answers there about Daskinor’s slave brands and, perhaps, a way to finally remove them.